New York City Program Gets Kids Up and Running

Approximately 20,000 New York City schoolchildren have enrolled in the Mighty Milers, a program run by the New York Road Runners Foundation that aims to get kids up and running.

The program, which targets childhood obesity, is in more than 100 New York City schools plus 20 schools in other states and 20 in Cape Town, South Africa, where a non-governmental organization became interested.

The children earn prizes like medals and certificates each time they notch 26 miles _ a marathon _ and they can track their progress on personal Web pages.

The running club is best known for putting on the New York City Marathon, which draws world-class runners and hobbyists alike on the annual race through the five boroughs. But foundation Executive Director Cliff Sperber said the purpose of the Mighty Milers isn’t to raise a new generation of marathoners.